Wiccan/Neo-Pagan

	Wiccan/Neo-Pagan	site search Class Schedules Index

	Wicca and Spellwork Basics
	Elena Pugh	Snow Policy


This popular "Wicca 101" class is designed to give the beginner the basics in the beliefs and practices of Wicca and spellwork. Completion of the entire 11 week course is a pre-requisite to taking the advanced class presented later in the year. Bring a notebook to each session. Although the most will be gained by taking all sessions consecutively, any session may be attended as a single subject. If you are not already registered for the series, please call to be sure that there is room available in the class you want to attend. Most sessions will only last an hour, but be prepared to stay an extra half hour to assure all questions can be adequately addressed.
There is no charge for the classes but donations will be gratefully accepted. There is a $5.00 fee for the printed, spiral bound handout.

Basic concepts of Neo-Paganism and Wicca
What Wicca is and isn't. Magickal ethics and universal law.
Thursday, March 15	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

The Wheel of the Year - Sabbats Part I. Imbolc through Litha
A brief overview of the Sabbats of the first half of the year. Optional participation in making a prosperity charm costs $5 for materials.
Thursday, March 22	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

The Wheel of the Year - Sabbats Part II. Mabon through Yule
A brief overview of the Sabbats of the second half of the year.
Thursday, March 29	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

How and Why of Meditation
Why meditation is important to the Wiccan and how one meditates.
Thursday, April 5	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Magickal Timing/Creating Sacred Space
The phases of the moon, days of the week, and hours of the day as they relate to magickal work. What sacred space is and how to create it.
Thursday, April 12	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

The Witch's Tools
A brief description of common magickal tools and what they are used for.
Thursday, April 19	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Magickal Alphabets & Basic Candle and Color Magick
Various alphabets used in magickal work; traditional color correspondences; and how to prepare, charge and use candles for magickal intent.
Thursday, April 26	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Magickal Herbs, Poppets
A brief introduction to the use of herbs for magickal purposes, and the construction and use of poppets.
Thursday, May 3	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Incense Making
A brief introduction to the various types of incense and incense ingredients, followed by hands-on instruction on how to compound your own incense blends.
Thursday, May 10	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Stones & Crystals
An introduction to the use of stones and crystals to enhance magickal work.
Thursday, May 17	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Yule Traditions
A look at some Yule traditions updated for today's pagans. How to "paganize" your tree without attracting attention. Bring a pagan ornament to swap (voluntary).
Thursday, May 24	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge

Wicca and Spellwork - Beyond the Basics
Thursdays, Sept 1 through Dec 22	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge
Pre-requisite Wicca and Spellwork Basics
Elena Pugh
This workshop will take approximately 16 weeks as we progress beyond scratching the surface of the esoteric knowledge used in magickal practices. Subjects that we will cover in this hands-on environment will include designing rituals, divination methods, candle spells, spiritual cleansing, psychic protection, incense compounding, talismans and amulets, magickal tools, the elements and elementals, and meditation.
Participants will need a loose-leaf notebook and will be responsible for obtaining certain required materials. Some class preparation between sessions will be required. "Amulets and Talismans for Beginners" by Richard Webster is a required text for this workshop.
There will be no workshop on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th
This class requires a minimum of four people. If fewer than four people pre-register, this class will be cancelled.

Candle Carving/Candle Magick
Saturday, Feb 4	1:00 - 3:00 p.m.	$30.00
Paid registration before January 21		$25.00
Snow Date Saturday, Feb 25	1:00 - 3:00 p.m.	Snow Policy
Pre-registration is highly recommended. This class requires a minimum of six people. If fewer than six people pre-register, this class will be cancelled.
Courtney Weber
The candle is the perfect focus point for spellwork. In this class, we will talk about methods and techniques of making magickal candles and give you the opportunity to make some of your own!
Courtney Weber is a Priestess, writer, Tarot Advisor, performer, and activist originally from Portland, OR. She received ordination as a Priestess of Pan from Rev. Cyn DeFay of the Cluan-Feart Mystery School in 2005 and a Third Degree Initiation as a Priestess of Brid from Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone in 2009. She is the HPS of Novices of the Old Ways, a Progressive Wiccan and Pagan group based in New York City and Portland, Oregon.

Ethical Spellcraft
Saturday, March 3	1:00 - 3:00 p.m.	$30.00
Paid registration before Feb 18		$25.00
Snow Date Saturday, March 24	1:00 - 3:00 p.m.	Snow Policy
Pre-registration is highly recommended. This class requires a minimum of six people. If fewer than six people pre-register, this class will be cancelled.
Courtney Weber
When to cast? When to bind? When even... to curse? Witches today are flooded with information on spells - but when is it necessary to use them? Are love spells really "manipulative"? Is binding really "black magick"? Are there times when you really do need to break out the poppet and pin? This class opens dialog on when it's time to get down and dirty with your magick - and when it's better to step away. Led by a Witch with more humorously disastrous spell stories than Disney could imagine, this class will not seek to provide rules on when to cast - but help the participants formulate their own questions and better reflect on the best use of their own magick. The class will also provide new spell recipes. Great for the novice or the experienced!
Courtney Weber is a Priestess, writer, Tarot Advisor, performer, and activist originally from Portland, OR. She received ordination as a Priestess of Pan from Rev. Cyn DeFay of the Cluan-Feart Mystery School in 2005 and a Third Degree Initiation as a Priestess of Brid from Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone in 2009. She is the HPS of Novices of the Old Ways, a Progressive Wiccan and Pagan group based in New York City and Portland, Oregon.

Pagans Like Me
not scheduled this quarter	7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge
Elena Pugh
If you are looking to meet others from the area to discuss Craft topics, being Pagan, or to talk about concerns or questions that you may have about the spiritual path that you have chosen, then this is the place for you. Pagans Like Me provides a comfortable setting to meet other Wiccans or Pagans from the area once a month and to share their views of Pagan life. Bring information to share and discuss if you like. In addition, ideas will be shared for seasonal celebrations, Sabbats, rituals, recipes, and spells. Come out and meet other like-minded people; don't be shy; come and make some new friends. Bring snacks or refreshments to share; coffee, tea, and herbal tea will be provided by Off the Beaten Path.

Raising Pagans
not scheduled this quarter	7:30 - 9:00 p.m.	No Charge
Elena Pugh
Following the successful start of Pagans Like Me, Off the Beaten Path received several requests for a pagan parents group where parents can discuss raising children in a pagan household. This is the place to share your ideas on pagan spirituality for children and learn how others are handling the complex issues surrounding children and pagan spirituality. We will discuss different topics and share ideas for age-appropriate seasonal celebrations, Sabbats, and rituals, and resources available to parents who want to raise their children as pagans.
Are you a new mommy feeling a bit overwhelmed? New mommies are welcome to bring their babies with them; we have not-so-new mommies and some pretty old mommies who can hold those young-uns for a while, talk to you like an adult, have coffee or tea with you, discuss the pleasures and pitfalls of raising pagan children, in short, help to be a support group you can turn to when you need it. We would prefer toddlers be left with a sitter once they're mobile, as the store is not child-proof and we don't want them to get hurt.
Come out and meet other like-minded people. Bring some friends and make some new ones. Bring some friends and make some new ones. Bring refreshments or snacks to share; coffee, tea, herbal tea, and water will be provided by Off the Beaten Path.

Crafting the Art Magickal (Spellwork)
not scheduled this quarter	7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	$35.00
Paid registration before		$30.00
Raushanna
This 2 hour intermediate-level workshop/discussion will delve into the building blocks of spell crafting, offering step-by-step insights into what we do when we create a spell, and why we do it. Learn how to go beyond the “How-To” books in order to craft your own magickal workings that will be effective in manifesting your goals as we explore Aleister Crowley's Magickal Theorems and his definition of magick. We will also consider the language of the three Selves (Self, Higher Self, and Younger Self) and how they communicate to allow our visualizations to manifest into reality. To help facilitate your understanding of the concepts presented in this class, please bring a spell from your personal Book of Shadows, which you will analyze during the class, or you may use one that we will provide.
Nancy Fader's ("Raushanna") love of belly dance deepened as she learned of its long history and use as a sacred dance of Goddess worship. This, combined with her lifetime love of nature and animals, led Nancy to seek spiritual fulfillment in Wicca; she is a Third Degree dedicant of a teaching coven into which she was initiated in 2005.

Personal Energy Fields
Thursday, April 21	7:00 – 9:00 p.m.	$35.00
Paid registration before April 7		$30.00
This 2 hour interactive workshop, which is a practical supplement to the Crafting the Art Magickal (Spellwork), and The Art of Banishment workshops but also works very well as a stand-alone class, offers practical knowledge regarding your personal energy field. During this class we will learn about the human aura, chakras, and other conduits of energy that can be found within the human physical body, and we will perform practical exercises for gathering, moving and manipulating your personal energy. Knowing how to manipulate your personal energy field is the first step to being able to direct that energy for magickal uses.
Nancy Fader's ("Raushanna") love of belly dance deepened as she learned of its long history and use as a sacred dance of Goddess worship. This, combined with her lifetime love of nature and animals, led Nancy to seek spiritual fulfillment in Wicca; she is a Third Degree dedicant of a teaching coven into which she was initiated in 2005.

The Art of Banishment
Friday, Sept 23	7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	$35.00
Paid registration before Sept 9		$30.00
Raushanna
Normally, our spells and magickal workings tend to focus on drawing our needs and desires toward us, but The Art of Banishment focuses on those circumstances where we might want to keep something away from us. This 2 hour intermediate level workshop (which continues the series begun by Crafting the Art Magickal (Spellwork) and Personal Energy Fields, but also may be attended as a stand-alone class) will present the theories behind banishment workings and will offer powerful, ethical, and practical methods to effectively banish the unwanted from your life.
Nancy Fader's ("Raushanna") love of belly dance deepened as she learned of its long history and use as a sacred dance of Goddess worship. This, combined with her lifetime love of nature and animals, led Nancy to seek spiritual fulfillment in Wicca; she is a Third Degree dedicant of a teaching coven into which she was initiated in 2005.

Green Magick
not scheduled this quarter	7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	$35.00
Paid registration before		$30.00
Maggi Setti
Working with plants and nature devas can reconnect you to the earth. In this class you will learn about the different types of plant beings, the oldest nation according to Native American lore. You will come away with practical techniques for working with plant and herbal magick.
Maggi Setti has been studying for 10 years as a Celtic and Norse focused Witch. She is a Second Degree Initiate of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a Wiccan Tradition, (www.sacredwheel.org) and is a member of one of its covens Chalice of Living Stars.
Maggi has a BA Degree in Fine Art and Anthropology from Salisbury University. She serves on the council of the Northern NJ Pagan Fellowship a networking, social, ritual, and training group. She is currently teaching and training for 3rd degree in the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel with hopes to start a new Assembly coven in northern New Jersey.

High and Low Magick: "When to use which for what"
not scheduled this quarter	7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	$35.00
Paid registration before		$30.00
Maggi Setti
Many practitioners practice either high or low magick to the exclusion of the other. Ritual transformative (high magick) and practical operative spell work (aka low magick) can both be used as a complete tool set of the magickal praticioner. Know the difference between the two types of magick and learn how you can incorporate both into your practice.
Maggi Setti has been studying for 10 years as a Celtic and Norse focused Witch. She is a Second Degree Initiate of the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, a Wiccan Tradition, (www.sacredwheel.org) and is a member of one of its covens Chalice of Living Stars.
Maggi has a BA Degree in Fine Art and Anthropology from Salisbury University. She serves on the council of the Northern NJ Pagan Fellowship a networking, social, ritual, and training group. She is currently teaching and training for 3rd degree in the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel with hopes to start a new Assembly coven in northern New Jersey.




Open Circles

Nothing scheduled this quarter